The next day, within the quiet, herb-scented halls of the Alchemist's Pavilion, Elder Ming sat at his large, polished redwood desk, a mountain of paperwork before him. His office was a sanctuary of quiet order, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of the training grounds. He set aside a tedious requisition for beast gallbladders and picked up the formal letter that had arrived an hour earlier, reading it for a third time.
It was from Finne, one of his most talented, if prideful, senior disciples. The letter detailed, with righteous indignation, the events at the Exchange Hall, accusing an outer disciple named Alex of selling pills of "impossible quality" and strongly suspecting theft from an elder's private stock. It concluded with a formal request for a public proficiency exam, as dictated by the guild's most ancient rules.
Elder Ming let out a long, weary sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was already aware of Alex's venture; news traveled fast in the sect. He wasn't surprised the boy was gifted in alchemy—Alex seemed to be an anomaly in all things—but he hadn't expected him to draw this kind of high-level attention so quickly. He knew Finne. The boy's pride was as vast as his talent, and a public dismissal by a "nobody" would be a wound he could not leave untended. While Ming pondered the best way to handle this without derailing his ward's progress, a sharp knock came at his door.
"Enter," Ming called, his voice calm.
The door slid open, and Elder Zheng stepped inside, his stern presence seeming to chill the warm, fragrant air of the room.
Ming's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. Zheng rarely ventured into the Alchemist's Pavilion. "Brother Zheng," Ming said with a nod. "To what do I owe the pleasure? It has been some time."
"Elder Ming," Zheng replied, forgoing the pleasantries. "I will be brief. I've heard some troubling whispers among the disciples. Rumors of an outer disciple selling pills of a quality far beyond his station. As you are the head of our sect's Alchemist Guild, I felt it my duty to bring this concern directly to you."
Ming's gaze sharpened, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. He glanced from Zheng's impassive face to the letter from Finne still resting on his desk. The timing was far too convenient to be a coincidence.
"I am well aware of the situation," Ming said, his voice even. "I was just considering how best to address it."
"What is there to consider?" Zheng countered, his tone flat. "Going by the Alchemist Guild's own rules, he should be required to prove his innocence during a public proficiency exam, before a panel of judges."
Ming set his brush down with a sharp click. "I am well aware of the guild rules, Zheng. Is this why you came here today? To tell me how to run my own branch?" A hint of agitation entered his voice.
"I would never dare, old friend," Zheng said smoothly, unfazed by the flash of anger. "I am simply offering my assistance, in case you require an extra judge on the panel."
"And what, pray tell, do you know of pill making?"
"Truthfully, nothing," Zheng admitted without hesitation. "But I have a keen eye. I can catch any foul play, should there happen to be any."
"You think a disciple would be bold enough to cheat during a practical exam?"
"Cheat? I would hope no disciple in our sect is so brazen," Zheng said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "No. I have a good eye for telling if an individual is utilizing any dark arts."
The true motive was finally on the table. Ming stroked his short white beard, his suspicion confirmed. This was never about pills. This was about Alex. "Okay," he said slowly, "but I refuse to believe a disciple of our sect would resort to such methods. And speaking of dark forces, how is your investigation of the southern marsh progressing?"
A deep sigh escaped Zheng. "Not well. So far, we have found that the malevolent Qi is causing the local beasts to mutate in disturbing ways, and many are migrating further north. We have also noted the water levels in the region are mysteriously drying up. But we have yet to track down the source."
"Unfortunate," Ming said pointedly. "And you still think your time is best spent on an outer disciple suspected of selling stolen goods?"
"My focus is not on stolen goods, Ming," Zheng stated, his gaze unyielding. "My focus is ensuring that dark forces are not lurking within our own walls, while we are distracted by threats from without."
Ming stared at Zheng for a long moment, a silent battle of wills passing between them. He finally relented with a slow nod. "Fine, fine. You can be on the panel. But I don't want to hear a single word from you during the proceedings unless you sense malevolent Qi. Is that understood?"
"That is all I ask," Zheng said, a flicker of triumph in his eyes. "Thank you, old friend."
With that, Zheng turned and took his leave. Ming was left alone in the heavy silence of his office. He had been outmaneuvered. Zheng now had a legitimate reason to scrutinize Alex up close. The only way to protect the boy was to ensure the test was fair and that he passed it.
Ming stood and walked to the door. "Summon a messenger," he called out to the junior alchemist waiting outside. He returned to his desk and began to write, his brush strokes swift and decisive. The summons was official. The wheels were now in motion.
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That night, the sweet, spiritual fragrance of perfectly balanced herbs filled Alex's small cabin. After his last trip to the Exchange Hall, he knew he couldn't afford to be so conspicuous again. He had spent the last few days deliberately diluting his recipe—using a slightly lower flame, a less concentrated Qi infusion. The goal wasn't perfection anymore; it was plausible excellence.
He had just completed his first attempt with the new method. He lifted the heavy cauldron lid, a puff of fragrant steam billowing out. Nestled inside at the bottom of the cauldron were twenty-four pills. They weren't the impossible, lustrous jade green of his first batch. These were a solid, earthy brown, much closer to the standard Qi-Replenishing Pills described in the manual. However, they were still perfectly uniform, and a faint internal glow betrayed a purity far beyond their humble appearance. They were high in quality, but believably so.
"Much better," he murmured, a satisfied smile on his face. This was a product he could sell without causing an uproar.
He carefully wrapped the pills in oil paper, preparing to turn in for the night. He sorted his things, confident that he had found a sustainable path to earning resources, and was about to begin his nightly cultivation when a sharp knock echoed from the door.
He opened it, a welcoming smile on his face, expecting to see Elara, Jay, or even Lily.
Instead, he found a stern-faced, middle-aged man. The man's robes were pristine, a deep azure adorned with a silver cauldron pin of the Alchemist Guild. From his neatly styled hair to his wrinkle-free cuffs, he exuded an air of cold, bureaucratic efficiency. He began speaking without introduction, his voice as flat and colorless as his expression.
"Outer Disciple Alex," the man stated, his eyes looking past Alex as if he were an inanimate object. "You are hereby summoned to take the Alchemist Practical Exam. The exam will be held in ten days at the Alchemist Guild Hall. If you fail to show, you will be punished on the grounds of selling stolen pills."
The words hit Alex like a physical blow. Before he could even form a retort, before he could refute the ridiculous accusation, the man had already turned on his heel. He disappeared down the stone path with the same brisk, impersonal pace he had arrived with, leaving Alex standing in the doorway, stunned.
He slowly closed the door, the summons feeling heavier than any beast's claw. He walked back to his table and stared at the new, deliberately imperfect pills he had just created. Stolen? I just fixed the problem, and they're coming after me?
He paced the small confines of his cabin, a mix of anger and frustrated disbelief swirling in his gut. Finne's wounded pride managed to get the Akchemist Guild on his back.
He stopped, forcing himself to take a deep breath and think. Panicking wouldn't help. He started to do the math in his head.
"Ten days from now?" he muttered to the empty room. "So, a week after the tournament ends." He ran his hands through his hair. "I wonder what this 'practical' will consist of? Will I need to brew pills? Will they provide the recipe? The ingredients?"
He looked at the gleaming cauldron he'd been so proud of. The threat was real, but as the initial shock faded, it was replaced by a familiar, stubborn pragmatism. He had been an outsider his whole life, always fighting uphill battles. This was just another one.
A wry smile touched his lips. "Well," he said to the empty cabin, a spark of his usual curiosity returning. "At least I'll finally have an excuse to check out the Alchemist Guild Hall."
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The next morning, Alex met his friends near the dining hall. The summons from the Alchemist Guild was the only topic of conversation.
"A public proficiency exam?" Jay said, his brow furrowed with worry. "That's not a small matter. They don't do that unless the accusation is serious."
"It's Finne's pride," Lily spat, crossing her arms. "He got shown up by an outer disciple at the Exchange Hall and couldn't stand it. He's using the guild rules to get revenge."
"Whatever the reason," Elara said, her expression serious as she looked at Alex, "you can't ignore it. But going in blind is a bad idea. We need to find out how the exam works."
Alex nodded in agreement. "I was thinking the same thing. I need to know what I'm up against."
Their destination was set. The group made their way towards the Alchemy District, a part of the sect Alex had only heard about up to this point. It was located deeper within the inner sect, a serene and orderly complex of buildings that stood in stark contrast to the low-lying lying simple buildings of the outer areas of the sect. The air here was clean, carrying the subtle, fragrant scent of rare herbs and heated minerals. Disciples in the embroidered azure robes of the Alchemy Guild, adorned with the various colored pins of cauldrons, moved with a quiet briskness of focused purpose, their faces radiating an intellectual intensity. Alex, in his plain outer disciple robes, felt a familiar sense of being an outsider.
They found the main Guild Hall, an impressive structure with polished redwood columns and windows made of smooth, translucent crystal. They were hoping to find a public notice board or a clerk who could provide information, but the disciples at the entrance desk simply waved them away, stating that exam protocols were confidential.
Frustrated, they were about to turn back when a familiar, warm voice called out.
"Disciple Alex. You are early, no?."
They turned to see Elder Ming approaching, a gentle, knowing smile on his face. He didn't look surprised to see them at all.
The four of them immediately bowed in respect. "Elder Ming," Elara said, taking the lead. "We apologize for the intrusion."
"Nonsense, nonsense," Ming said, waving a hand dismissively, though his eyes were fixed on Alex. "I received a formal complaint from a disciple recently and had to make some decisions. I assume that is why you are here?"
Alex stepped forward, his heart pounding. "Yes, Elder. I wanted to understand the rules of the exam. How should I prepare?"
Elder Ming stroked his short white beard, his expression thoughtful. "The rules are designed to ensure fairness and to test an alchemist's true skill, not their ability to memorize a single recipe."
He looked directly at Alex, his voice clear and formal, but his eyes carrying a hint of reassurance. "All necessary ingredients and a standard-issue cauldron will be provided for you on the day of the exam. You will also be given a recipe. However," he paused, letting the weight of his next words sink in, "the specific pill you will be required to create will remain a secret until the moment the test begins."
A knot of anxiety tightened in Alex's stomach. A blind test. It was a true test of his fundamental skills.
Seeing the worry on Alex's face, Elder Ming offered a small, almost imperceptible smile. "A strong foundation is never wasted, disciple. If you believe you are capable, simply trust in your skills."
With a final, encouraging nod, the elder continued on his way, leaving the four of them standing in the fragrant courtyard.
"Well," Lily said, breaking the silence. "That's both better and worse than I expected."
"He's right, though," Jay added, clapping a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You've got the skills. What you need to do is practice the fundamentals."
Alex looked from the grand Guild Hall back to his friends. He now knew the rules of the game. He had nine days. Nine days to prepare for a test where he had no idea what he would be asked to create. He had to make sure he fully understood the ins and outs of alchemy and how various different materials interact with eachother, he needed to study not just one recipe but the materials themself.
With that Alex bid his friends farewell, I he wanted to be ready he had to get to work.